Looks like we really are going to Russia in June! Hey-ho! If you had your time in Moscow again, what would you have done differently and what would you have brought with you ? (Apart from the obvious - bullet proof vest !)

Good luck Trojan!
What would I have done differently? Dunno.. maybe planned my accommodation more carefully? It's the biggest single issue for someone living in Moscow, I'd say.
Oh and the traffic is horrendous.
As for bullet-proof vests, I can genuinely say that I think my home town of London is more dangerous. Moscow isn't that bad.
Nye byespakoisa, and have fun !

Hi Ana, don't mind me, I wasn't serious. I don't think Moscow is particularly dangerous. From what I've heard though, life is tougher there and you need to sharpen your elbows. People queuing for buses and shop assistants are notorious so I don't know if daily life is much fun but I've only ever heard from teachers who enjoyed working with their students. Russians are nice - I even married one He thinks I'm off my nut to go there though, he says Russia is awful!
Good luck

I'm not too worried about going to Moscow. Russia is one of the places I've always wanted to go to, so I think, unless I was given endless reasons not to, I'd go. Most people I've spoken to who've actually been say it's a great place and the biggest problem I'll have is the cold.
I live in Madrid and here one of the first keys to survival is place guarding in queues, especially when put against the old, not-so-frail ladies in fur coats. So I am a little prepared for Moscows queues. I expect most people have a jaded view of their own county, it doesn;t always make it a bad place.

thanks for your reply. I look forward to going the more I hear about it (good and not so good!). Hope you enjoy it as much when you go back.

Yes, a bullet proof vest will not be necessary. In fact, even a thermal vest might prove foolhardy as when you go inside (and when its 20 below outside you'll spend most of your time inside!), you'll get so hot you'll want to faint.
I've been im Moscow for more than half a year now and the Russian winter was far less terrifying than I had imagined. You're not going to believe me but I HONESTLY felt colder in Dublin. As it's so far inland, it's a dry cold that never really gets into your bones. In fact, I can't even remember shivering much. Of course, you need to wear a lot of clothes and layer yourself like an onion, but the cold is not really a problem. A much bigger problem, however, is the ice and trying to walk on it. Although Russians do an amazing job of keeping the roads clear, they don't bother about the pavements too much so trying to stay vertical is a constant challenge. However, wearing more layers of clothes than an onion does limit the damage!
Re mafia and all that hype, I agree with the earlier entry that it simply isn't an issue for EFL teachers. Your're far more likely to have problems with the police than with the criminal fraternity. However, even they bark more than they bite.

Thanks for the reassurance Phillip. I recently went to Cadiz. The weather was amazing, the sea was beautiful and I started to question my decision to go to Russia! I've never been to Dublin but I imagine it's similar to my northern England origins. The worst thing there is the constant rain. Edinburgh in February is the coldest place I have been. We spent th majority of a journey across town in the bars drinking whiskey to stay warm!

Hi Anna,
Yes it is Spring in Moscow now. As I write, there isn't a cloud in the sky and people have shed their winter overcoats. The trees have yet to bloom, but it should be any day now.
Re rain, yes, it does rain a lot here, but not quite as much as in Dublin. Of course, it snows in the winter and that's a hundred times better than rain. I actually love it when it's snowing and I'm beginning to miss it already, believe it or not!

Hi Phillip,
Weatherwise, Moscow sounds better than Madrid at the moment. Although it has warmed up the last couple of days!

I am definatly comming to Moscow. Hurray. I can't wait! I went to a book shop all set on buying myself a start on learning Russian. I realise it's more difficult than Spanish, but looking at the book scared me. I quickly put it back on the shelf and rushed back to the English section where I felt much more comfortable.

I think I'll wait until I'm there and can hear the sounds I'm trying to produce. I can only be worse to think I;m doing ok with a tape and to arrive speaking the most hidious nonsense imaginable. I've always found smiling and pointing goes a long way!! Did you learn the language before you went? How difficult is it really?

Yes, thanks a lot Kent-some very useful links I must pass on to our teachers.
My own Russian is little better than when I arrived and it wasn't any good then either!. Indeed, a magic finger and a smile is useful anywhere, isn't it.
However, you really should try to learn the alphabet before you arrive-it will make your life so much easier. I would also recommend the BBC book and audio cassette-'Teach Yourself Russian' as it contains most of the basics you'll need to get by.

Sage advice from Philip about the alphabet. The good news is, it only takes literally a few hours to do it
As for starter books, I would highly recommend 'the New Penguin Russian course' by Nicholas J. Brown. Small but perfectly formed

Welcome, welcome, welcome, to the soon to be newly-arrriveds. Winter is breathtakingly beautiful, don't worry. And the leaves are returning. My mother commented the other day, wondering how I could stand the long winters. Spring comes slowly and at a different pace than it does elsewhere, but you just look at things differently. Each blade of grass is a joy, each small increment, each extra minute of daylight. And actually, the daylight comes back fast! Even if everything is still dead and grey and cold, you appreciate being able to stand still outside for a few minutes without getting cold. There are all kinds of wonderful little signs of approaching summer, that give no less joy for being small and subtle. And by the time winter comes back, you feel you've had two lifetimes worth of daylight.

And summer is lush and beautiful. I feel like I'm in the American South in summer.